The Department of English Language and Literature at the Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang, held the highly anticipated TAIKAI 2024—the first National Foreign Language Olympiad. With the theme “Menyala Indonesiaku”, TAIKAI 2024 offered students a platform to showcase their language skills, particularly in English and Japanese, while expanding their networks and gaining valuable experience.
This year’s competition drew participants from primary school through university, with events tailored for each level. Primary students competed in quiz bowls and spelling bees, while middle and high school students showed their talents in singing, debate, digital storytelling, speech, storytelling, and vlogging. University participants engaged in events such as 3-Minute Talk, debate, digital storytelling, vlogging, and voice-over.
The TAIKAI 2024 event culminated in an exciting final round, held on October 21-22, after online preliminary rounds on October 5. Among the university-level winners were four students from the English Literature program who excelled in the vlog competition: Pasha Humayra, Rafifah Asilla, Naira Putri Fadina, and Kamila Fakhira Bizikri, taking first place with their impressive creativity and skills.
TAIKAI 2024 not only highlighted language proficiency but also fostered camaraderie among young language enthusiasts from across Indonesia. (HY)